Sabrina SegalCHEP

How do our students feel about this type of feedback? "I have often wondered about the weight given to different aspects of our assignments over the course of my entire tenure with AIU. It was nice to be able to see it in black and white, before grading. I would honestly like to see all of the instructors incorporate this information into communications with the students. I think it helps in deciphering what the key points to the assignments actually are. " " The new components help you to gauge where you stand and what areas you need to work… >>>

Blind spot for grading information How many times have you received an email from a student who is upset that although s/he spent hours to complete an assignment, the grade awarded was not deemed acceptable from the student’s viewpoint? This is where feedback plays a vital role – feedback that moves a student forward, helps the student accomplish the task at hand and prepares them for workforce challenges. Though not always easy, providing feedback that includes elements of encouragement, know-how and mentorship – and that doesn’t damage a student’s self-esteem - is often a high-wire balancing act. Students often ignore… >>>

Feeling isolated from the classroom can be the first step in a student drop. A pleasant announcement, a comforting “reach-out” email, or a great story on the discussion board can reignite the learning fire and boost retention. We save students one at a time. Granted, sometimes we don’t know if we’ve done things right as faculty until months later when a graduate sends a ‘thank you’ email telling us so, but we should never underestimate what our words might do for a student who is teetering on the brink of dropping out of school. By heightening the presence of faculty… >>>

FOCUS ON THE NEGATIVES: TECHNOLOGY We've all gotten emails about students who end up with no working computer, internet cut off due to non-payment, you name it. Some students even start school with no computer and use a public PC, or one at work. While not having internet or a computer may not be the best scenario, we need to come together with the student and find ways that the course tasks can be accomplished. The situation is: the student is in your class and expending funds to be enrolled, so why do we discourage a student who already has… >>>